Emil's Grille closes, blames Wacker construction

April 19, 2011

Emil’s Bar and Grille, a long-time fixture on Wacker Drive for business lunches and pre-opera dinners, closed last week, a victim of the massive reconstruction of the aging street, according to its owner.

John Boutzarelos blamed the construction for reducing Emil’s business 30 to 40 percent since the project started in January. He said the white-tablecloth restaurant started to lose money.